The invention relates to a dispenser with which media can be stored, delivered or discharged. The media can be liquid, pasty, gaseous, powdery and/or solid. The dispenser is held and actuated single-handedly by the user while discharging. The dispenser is made partly or completely of injection-molded or plastics parts, each of which may be dimensionally rigid, elastic or flexible without strain. The dispenser may be designed for discharging either only once a single dose or for sequentially discharging separate doses of the medium. The discharge stroke to be implemented for this purpose may be provided in a single direction only or may follow a return stroke by which a metering or pump chamber is refilled with the medium after discharge.
The actuator provided for controlling the dispenser, such as for opening outlet paths, closing inlet paths, triggering a discharge drive or for manually driving a discharge stroke determines an activation degree which may be the path of the cited opening or closing action or the stroke and also the volume of the medium as conveyed in a single discharge action within the dispenser or as ejected therefrom. This avtivation degree is variable, particularly to satisfy the various conveying properties of the medium or for varying the medium dose. For controlling the flow of the medium through the dispenser a closure is provided which may be capable only for opening or only for closing. The closure may also be a reversibly opening and closing valve.
The cited variation in the activation degree may be solely determined for being set within a given range when assembling the dispenser parts to form the dispenser. Instead it may also be provided to be varied by the user after assembly of the dispenser in one direction or in opposing directions. Where the dispenser includes a pump, such as a thrust piston pump the positioning or setting means may variably define the rest position or return stroke position of the pump piston by an abutment. Then the setting means include a stop adjustable in opposing directions parallel to the piston stroke. Against this stop the piston is abutted on the return stroke. In this arrangement the advance stroke of the piston is likewise limited by a stop. The valve may be a destructable closure or an inlet or outlet valve for a chamber such as the pump chamber.
An object of the invention is to provide a dispenser which avoids the disadvantages of known configurations. Another object is that the actuator or setting means act on the valve so that its control can be influenced thereby. A further object is that the dispenser is simple in configuration and handling as well as safe in function.
In accordance with the invention the setting means may act so that the mutual position of the valve elements remains the same in one or both end positions of the valve irrespective of the setting by the setting means. As a result the functions of the valve remain constant. The valve may be an outlet, inlet or pressurizing valve or a slide respective sled or one such valve whose valve faces are positionally fixed by mutually abutting in one or both end positions. The valve may be controlled purely as a function of the path or as a function of the medium pressure. The valve is translated into the one end position manually or into the other end position by a spring. The communicating or valve passage may be constricted only down to a narrowest degree whilst still being permeable or it may be closed off totally.
The configuration in accordance with the invention is also of advantage for dispensers in which the setting means do not effect the valve or which do not include a valve but a sled determining the activation degree. Thereby while setting the sled executes no, or merely a minor, rotating motion and, where necessary, is powered via an intermediate gear or gear chain including a drive member such as a rotating member. This sled is prevented from rotating by a guide which may be shaped linearly or helically or steeply helically.
The design in accordance with the invention is also suitable for dispensers in which a setting member of the setting means, particularly a pitched or threaded member, is integral with the base body which in turn is in one part from this setting member up to at least one of a hermetically sealed dry chamber, a vent opening traversing the base body, a piston track, a medium chamber, an inlet valve or a connection for a riser tube.
Expediently the housing also directly or integrally mounts a support flange with which the base body can be tensioned against a support such as a finger rest or a medium reservoir. The support flange may be shaped in the form of an annular disk or a cap. The flange is located between and spaced from both ends of the one-part housing. Thus a compact design including few separate components is achieved.
The finger rest or handles for actuating the setting means may freely protrude in the flow direction or may be overlappingly or spacedly offset relative to the associated gear member in the setting direction. Thus the handle is always just as accessible in any position of the setting means or changes its position relative to the base body either not at all or to a lesser extent than the setting means when being set.
For actuation the dispenser advantageously comprises an actuating or discharge head including a finger rest or a medium outlet. The head engages the setting means and may permanently protrude into the interior of a setting member of the setting means. This setting member may also permanently protrude into the interior of the head so that corresponding coverings are formed to prevent dirt ingress.
In another aspect the setting means comprise a separate seal which as a sliding seal seals off a base body, the dry chamber not charged with the medium, or the like.
These and further features of the invention as apparent from the description and the drawings may provide sub-combinations in an embodiment of the invention and in other fields and may represent advantageous aspects.